The agent for Andrew Bynum says that the player has not ruled out signing a contract with the 76ers

Bynum's agent: 'Ball is in Sixers' court'

Philadelphia 76ers' Andrew Bynum stands on the court before an NBA preseason basketball game against the Boston Celtics, Monday Oct. 15, 2012, in Philadelphia. Bynum on Monday will receive an injection of Synvisc, a gel-like substance that sometimes provides relief for inflamed tissue, on his injured right knee. (AP Photo/H. Rumph Jr)

John Mitchell

Posted:
Wednesday, May 15, 2013, 1:43 PM

CHARLOTTE – The agent for Andrew Bynum says that the player has not ruled out signing a contract with the 76ers once free agency begins July 1.

“I don’t see why not,” Bynum’s agent, David Lee, said Wednesday morning when asked whether or not Bynum would consider signing an extension with the 76ers this summer. “I still feel like the ball is in their court.”

Bynum will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. He had arthroscopic surgery on both knees last month to remove debris. Teams can begin signing free agents on July 1.

Not long after the surgery, once Sixers source said that he did not believe that Bynum would give the Sixers any additional consideration because of what happened – Bynum never played for the team in the final year of his contract - following his acquisition in a four-team trade last August.

“Philadelphia has been terrific to us – from [majority owner] Josh Harris to [CEO/co-owner] Adam Aron to [general manager] Tony DiLeo,” Lee said. “The only way that Philadelphia would not be an option would be if they decided that they wanted to go in another direction.”

Lee said that Bynum is at least two weeks into his rehabilitation. He added that Bynum has not experienced any pain or swelling since the procedure.

For those that believe Bynum’s career is over, Lee had this to say.

“This was a rough year on everyone involved. But Andrew is just 25 years old. We have every reason to believe that he will be back on the court next season.”

About this blog

Keith Pompey has been an Inquirer reporter since September 2004 and took over the Sixers beat in the summer of 2013 after covering Temple basketball and football for the previous three years.

Marc Narducci has served in a variety of roles with the Inquirer since beginning in 1983. He has covered the 76ers as a backup and a beat writer. In addition, Narducci has covered everything from the Super Bowl to the World Series and a lot in between.